Something that often follows a disaster is another form of disaster. Looting has become all too common in disaster areas, especially when authorities have evacuated them. Worse, many homes and buildings sustain damage, giving looters easy access to property and possessions. Here’s how you can keep looters off your property after a disaster.
Several ways exist to prevent looting after a disaster, or at least minimize your losses. None are foolproof, especially if your home has sustained significant damage. Even the best locks on doors and windows won’t do much if windows are blown out or if the front of your house has caved in. Still, it’s worth considering some of these possibilities, especially if you live in an area prone to natural disasters.
Take Valuable Possessions With You
How much you take depends on how much you can transport. But if it’s something you would really miss or can’t do without, pack it up and take it with you when you bug out.
Install a Fence 
There’s no guarantee the fence will survive a disaster. However, looters are opportunists. They look for the easiest targets, and a fence could be enough to keep them away from your property, especially if neighboring homes appear to be easier targets.
A metal fence works best. It offers less wind resistance and is less likely to go down in high winds or floodwaters. Still, it’s just one of the ways you can keep looters off your property.
Related:Â How to Become Invisible Wherever You Live
Light Up The Night
Most looting takes place after dark. You know, thieves don’t like to be seen. But there’s a potential challenge. Power outages are common after a disaster. However, the best lighting solution is solar-powered lights with a motion detector for activation.
There’s no guarantee they won’t be damaged during a disaster, but it’s unwise to always assume the worse. They may survive just fine and because they’re independent of the grid, they will keep your property lit whenever someone chooses to approach.
Alarms Triggered By Motion Detectors
It’s not just about light. Looters avoid noise, so combining loud alarms with solar lights on motion detectors creates a strong deterrent. If you secure enough of them properly, they can still work even if some get damaged. Taking the time to install them is worth the effort.
They’re not terribly expensive. Sizes and decibel levels vary, but these alarms get the job done. They should also be solar rechargeable. You can easily find them online.
Related:Â How To Install A Trip Wire Alarm On Your Property
Consider Burglar Bars
If looters have targeted your area after disasters, take extra precautions by installing burglar bars on your doors and windows. Even when thieves break the windows, these bars stop them from getting inside. Some designs allow you to remove the bars during calm times and reattach them when a disaster is coming.
Indoor Motion Detector Alarms And Lights 
It’s not just about securing the outside. Once looters break into your home, they often feel safe enough to take their time looking for valuables. By mounting alarms and lights high around your house, you add another layer of defense.
To power these devices, choose battery-operated models or connect them to a solar panel to keep the batteries charged. You can switch them off when you’re home, but activate all of them if you need to evacuate—just in case.
Video Cameras
Some security cameras connect to the Internet and record footage, while others are fake with a small, red flashing light. Regardless of whether they’re real or fake, thieves don’t want to be seen, and they definitely don’t want to be recorded.
To maximize their effectiveness, mount the cameras in highly visible areas. You want the looter to see them and realize they’re being watched or possibly recorded.
Warning Signs
A simple sign in the front yard or a decal on the windows can quickly deter looters. These signs usually warn that video surveillance and alarms protect the home. Even if some signs are fake, they can still discourage thieves. When looters scout for targets in an evacuated neighborhood, a warning sign may convince them to skip your home and look for an easier, less risky option.
Related:Â Avoid These 8 Looter-Inviting Things On Your Property
Leave A Radio On
Homeowners often use this simple tactic to keep burglars away. Place a solar-powered radio by a sunlit window and turn it on. Set the volume high. Talk radio works best because the chatter makes intruders think someone is inside. Looters, who usually avoid confrontation, prefer to work alone.
Playing a radio in an empty, evacuated house creates an effective deterrent. While setting it up, remember to plug it in. The solar panel will keep it running until power returns and you can safely come back home.
Katie, Bar The Door
If your home has multiple doors, you might consider barring all but one of them. You’ll need to get back in after the evacuation orders are lifted, but backdoors and other doors not visible to the streets are often pried open or kicked in.
There are door bars you can buy or you could improvise one from a 2×4 and a couple of braces. Here again, they’re not for everyday use but anyone who owns a vacation home knows that barred doors are much more resistant to a kick-in.
Manage Your Landscaping
If you let bushes, trees, and brush surround your home, you give looters an advantage. They can easily stay out of sight when landscaping provides too much cover. While you want your house and yard to look appealing, avoid giving looters the unintentional benefit of dense shrubbery. Keep your property tidy and clear to reduce hiding spots.
Hide It
If you have something valuable and can’t take it with you during an evacuation, hide it. You can choose from many options, like small safes disguised as books on shelves or hidden rooms concealed by a bookshelf, large picture, or mirror. These spots work well for sentimental items or things you’d miss but don’t have time or space to transport.
Since looters don’t like to spend much time in one place, hiding your valuables makes it harder for them to find. If they can’t find it, you won’t lose it.
Combine These Steps
You don’t need to do all of this, but combining more solutions and deterrents will work better. The goal is to make your home and property less attractive to potential looters.
It’s unfortunate, but these measures might push looters toward your neighbor’s homes as easier targets. However, you could share this information with your neighbors. By working together, you might turn your neighborhood into a place looters choose to avoid.
How do you keep looters off your property? Let me know in the comment section!
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